


Humble and Kind

by AngelwithMidnightWings



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Pre-Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 07:10:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9710345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelwithMidnightWings/pseuds/AngelwithMidnightWings
Summary: Henry finds Emma's old guitar and begs her to play, he doesn't expect his other mother to join in. He also comes to a realization about his mothers.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: characters associated with OUAt aren't mine. Neither is the song 'Humble and Kind' by Tim McGraw. Not copyright was intended but I heard the song and had to write something for it. so at 1:05 am this is the result sorry.

     “Play something for us, Emma,” Henry asks quietly, holding out the worn guitar he had found in his mother’s room when searching for a blanket.

He had come down the stairs into Emma’s backyard, cradling its large body in his arms and stood there a moment, surveying his family. They were crowded around the fire pit out back. Emma and David held beers in their hands, while Mary-Margret, his aunt Zelena, and his mom held wine glasses. Neal, a toddler now, was playing gently with baby Robyn.

The buzz of noise that enveloped the backyard was cut abruptly, even the baby’s noise hushing into silence, everyone honing in on the object in his hands.

“I didn’t know you could play,” Henry’s grandmother comments, hesitantly.

Emma is hesitant. Henry, always the smart boy, catches the brief fear in her eyes.

“I don’t play anymore.”

Henry’s other mother is watchful too, he must get this from her, for she can see the same instinct to flee on Emma’s face as he does. The brunette stands and moves closer to the log the blonde had claimed earlier in their night.

She smiles down at his blonde mother, a smile Henry notes, that he ever sees her get around Emma. One of understanding and something else he could never quite put his finger on.

He’s still holding the guitar in front of him when his mom sits beside Emma on the log. “Just one song, I’m off to travel the world soon and I really want to hear you play. Please, ma?”

“We all want to hear you play,” David comments, voice quiet in encouragement.

His aunt Zelena chimes in with her glass to her lips. “You can’t be that bad sheriff,” she quips, shrugging as Emma’s green eyes dart to her.

Her brows raise in defiance, green eyes flickering at the challenge and she gestures for him to pass the guitar over. He does so, taking her beer and placing it on the table. She fumbles a moment resting the guitar in her lap and strumming across its strings a few times.

She glances up, eyes finding his mother, who nods, a little hesitant herself. Henry watches this and finds he doesn’t mind at all that they seem to have found a common ground besides him on which they stand.

Emma begins strumming, fingers deft across the strings, pulling out a smooth tune. What surprises him, or rather all of them, is when she looks to the brunette beside her and _his mom_ , mayor of Storybrooke, ex-Evil Queen, starts to sing along.

_You know there's a light that glows by the front door_

_Don't forget the key's under the mat_

_When childhood stars shine,_

_Always stay humble and kind_

He knows his mother used to sing him lullabies when he was little but he never remembered she was quite this good. He looks around at the other people in wonder, but they are enraptured just as much as he was. Zelena stands gripping her glass tighter between her fingers, David is the slightest bit slack-jawed, but Mary-Margret is watching s if remembering a fond memory. He supposes she probably is.

She falls silent, Emma’s voice taking over. Though shaky at first, Henry begins to wonder why she never played to them before.

**Go to church 'cause your mamma says to**

**Visit grandpa every chance that you can**

**It won't be wasted time**

**Always stay humble and kind**

She’s looking at Regina, giving her that smile. The one she turns to him a second later as the lyrics play out. Both his mother’s sing to him; the chorus of the song striking a chord deep within him as their voices combine.

**_Hold the door, say "please", say "thank you"_ **

**_Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie_ **

**_I know you got mountains to climb_ **

**_But always stay humble and kind_ **

**_When the dreams you're dreamin' come to you_ **

**_When the work you put in is realized_ **

**_Let yourself feel the pride_ **

**_But always stay humble and kind_ **

They sing out the rest of the song going back and forth between verses. Always singing the chorus together, and every once and a while, their eyes would meet and they’d share a fond smile or playful smirk.

_Don't expect a free ride from no one_

_Don't hold a grudge or a chip and here's why:_

_Bitterness keeps you from flyin'_

_Always stay humble and kind_

**Know the difference between sleeping with someone**

**And sleeping with someone you love**

**"I love you" ain't no pick-up line**

**So always stay humble and kind**

**_Hold the door, say "please", say "thank you"_ **

**_Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie_ **

**_I know you got mountains to climb_ **

**_But always stay humble and kind_ **

**_When those dreams you're dreamin' come to you_ **

**_When the work you put in is realized_ **

**_Let yourself feel the pride_ **

**_But always stay humble and kind_ **

**When it's hot, eat a root beer popsicle**

**Shut off the AC and roll the windows down**

**Let that summer sun shine**

**Always stay humble and kind**

_Don't take for granted the love this life gives you_

_When you get where you're going don't forget turn back around_

_And help the next one in line_

_Always stay humble and kind_

When his mom finishes out the last verse, and Emma strums the last chord, he has tears in his eyes. Emma has a sheepish, shy smile widening her features as everyone claps. His mom’s fingers ghost across her back and when their eyes meet he can’t fully read what transpires between them.

“You were so good, Emma,” David’s proud voice breaks the trance the backyard had been under.

“I picked up on a few things here and there throughout my childhood,” Emma replies with a shrug.

…

                The night goes on from then, settling back into its original peace. The guitar is back in its rightful place at the back of Emma’s closet.

He walks up to his blonde mother as she’s grabbing another burger from the table. “You know from not playing in a while, you are awfully good at it still,” he comments, leaning against the table and glancing around the backyard.

She tenses and turns to him, leaning beside him, burger in hand. “Some things just never go away, I guess.”

He nudges her shoulder. “Maybe you could teach me sometime?” he asks.

Turning to look at him a moment, she blinks at him curiously then smiles. “If you would like that,” she replies, her eyes alight upon something that causes a fond upturning of her lips around the burger.

Following her gaze Henry sees his mom, kneeling down to shake a toy in front of Robyn and laughing as she reaches for it in excitement.

“You know ma, for something that hasn’t been played in a while,” he starts. Her eyes flick to his in suspicion as he trails off. “Your guitar didn’t have a lot of dust covering it.”

Her breath catches at that, causing her to choke on a piece of her burger she had just bitten off. His laugh is imprinted in her mind as he pats her on the back twice and moves off.

His brunette mother turns at her sound of distress, eyes crinkling in worry, and he smirks.


End file.
